Friday, May 29, 2015

Today's post is on A Natural History
of Dragons: A memoir by Lady Trent
by Marie Brennan. It is 334 pages long and is published by TOR. The
cover is white with a dragon it with the different parts labeled like
for a science book. The intended reader is someone who likes
fantasy, historical fictional, and dragons. There is no sex, mild
language, and violence in this book. The story is told from the
perspective of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From
the dust jacket-
All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, knows
Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist.
She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of
the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light
of modern science. But before she become the illustrious figure we
know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for
learning, natural history, and yes, dragons defied the stifling
conventions of her day.

Here
at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit
who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and
bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love
and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her
thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she
made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the
world forever.

Review-
How can I express how good this book is. It is very well written, the
character's are all interesting with Isabella being most, the plot is
good, the dialog is very real. The only thing I wanted that I did not
get from this book was more. I do not want to wait for the next book,
which I have already bought. The style is fun, as it is written not
just a memoir but a tell-all about herself and those around her. I
like books written in this style. Isabella is a very sympathetic
character. The time period that this is to be like is the Victorian
age, so Isabella feels the limits of what she is supposed to do. But
she does not let that stop her. I look forward to reading more by
Brennan and more about Isabella.

I
give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review
and I bought this book with my own money.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Today's
post is on Among
the Janeites: A journey through the world of Jane Austen Fandom
by Deborah Yaffe. It is 241 pages long including notes and is
published by Mariner Books. The cover is yellow with a young woman on
a horse jumping on it. The intended reader is someone who is a
Janeite or just interested in the Janeite world. There is no sex, no
violence , and no language in this book. The story is told from the
first person perspective of the writer. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From
the dust jacket-
They walk among us in their bonnets and Empire-waist gowns, clutching
their souvenir tote bags and battered paperbacks: the Janeites, Jane
Austen's legion of devoted fans. Who are these obsessed admirers,
whose passion has transformed Austen from classic novelist to
pop-culture phenomenon? Deborah Yaffe, journalist and Janeite, sets
out to answer this question, exploring the remarkable endurance of
Austen's stories, the unusual zeal that their author inspires, and
the striking cross-section of lives she has touched.Along the
way, Yaffe meets a Florida lawyer with a byzantine theory about
hidden subtexts in the novels, a writer of Austen fan fiction who
found her own Mr. Darcy while reimagining Pride
and Prejudice,
and a lit professor whose rollier-derby nom de skate is Stone Cold
Jane Austen. Yaffe goes where Janeites gather, joining a pilgrimage
to historic sites in Britain, chatting online with fellow fans, and
attending the annual ball of the Jane Austen Society of North
American- in period costume. Part chronicle of a vibrant literary
community, part memoir of a lifelong love, Among
the Janeites
is a funny, touching meditation on the nature of fandom.

Review-
As a Janeite is was fun to read about other people, kind of, like me.
This is a fun book with lots going on. Yaffe talks about Austen both
in her time and what she has become in ours. It is interesting to
read about all the different kinds of people that love Austen from
professors to lawyer to housewives and they all get something
different out of her. It made me think about one of my favorite authors in a new way and that is always good. I think that some of the people we meet are a little odd even for me but I liked learning about how Austen touched their lives and made them better. It is also interesting to read about the way fanfiction works in this scene. I remember when I saw some of the books talked about, I did not know that they started out as just fanfiction but I do not know why I surprised by this. I guess Austen has always just been so important to me that of course people would want to read more about the characters.

I
give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review
and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Today's
post is on XXXHolic
volume 8
by CLAMP. It is the eighth in the series, so you need to have read
the first seven to understand the story. It is 176 pages long and is
published by DEL REY. The cover has Yuko on it looking very pretty
and wrapping around to Watanuki on the back. The intended reader is
someone who likes Japanese mythology, ghost stories, and very pretty
pictures. The story is told from Watanuki's perspective. There Be
Spoilers Ahead.

From
the back of the book-
Kimihiro Watanuki's after-school job working for the mysterious aitch
Yuko Ishikawa has taken a dangerous turn. A recent assignment cost
Kimihiro his right eye to a spider with a grudge. Now the missing eye
has become the latest must-have item n the spirit world. Even the
Zashiki-Warashi, the pretty spirit who has a crush on on Kimihiro,
has become entangled in the mess... and
she's being held captive by an unknown evil! Can Kimihiro save bot
the girl and
his eye- without getting himself killed by beings more powerful than
he can imagine?

Review-
More world and character development for this volume. The world
building is more about the spiritual world that Watanuki partly lives
in and the character development is about him, hopefully, learning
that he matters. Yuko is getting annoyed with Watanuki about that. He
believes that his life does not matter so nothing that happens to him
matters. The Shinto belief of all things are connected is very
present in this volume and of course in this whole manga. Domeki
finds a way to make things better but I am curious to see how he
solution will play out. We still have some plot points without any idea about where they are going like what the wing-things were or why Himawari is really bad luck for Watanuki but all in all a very good volume.

I
give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my
review and I bought this manga with my own money years ago.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Today’s post is on Whisper
the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey. It is the second in her The Lovegrove Legacy.It is
397 pages long and is published by Bloomsbury. The cover has one of the main
character’s one it breathing out of the title. The intended reader is young
adult but this is very well written regency era so if you like that time period
try this series. There is no sex, mild language, and some violence in this
book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Gretchen Thorn is a whisperer, which
means she often feels like her head is going to explode. The constant whispers
of witches’ spells in her ears may help her to know when one of her own spells
is going wrong, but the incessant buzzing and pain it causes hardly seem worth
the trouble. And being a debutant is not any more pleasant, as she’s forced to
act like a proper lady, donning ball gowns and having good manners, when she
much prefers wearing trousers and speaking her mind.

But when something evil once again begins to menace Mayfair,
Gretchen must find a way to master her gifts. Along with her cousins, Emma and
Penelope; a madcap named Moira; and the icy yet irresistible Tobias Lawless,
Gretchen will face deadly threats and unimaginable loss in the hopes of
preventing a terrible power from rising again.

Review- The second in this series is just as good as
the first. We follow Gretchen mostly in this book. She handles her new magical
powers pretty well I think. We get more world building, character development,
and more bad guys. One of the bad guys does not get explained and I want to
know why he would do what he does in the book. If the main bad guy is magically
controlling him, I would have liked to know that. That is my only complaint
about the plot. Everything else is fun, witty, and good writing.The cliffhanger is good and did not irritate me.
I even liked the new love interest. I do want him and Gretchen to work together
and have a happily ever after. Pretty unusual for me.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for
my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Today's post is on A Train in
Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance n
Occupied France by Caroline
Moorehead. It is 374 pages long includes notes and index and is it
published by HarperCollins. The cover is a black and white picture of
people standing in a train station. The intended reader is someone
who is interested in history, world war 2 and women. There is some
language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from
third person with first interjected. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From
the dust jacket-
They were teachers, students, chemists, writers, and housewives; a
singer at the Paris Opera, a mid-wife, a dental surgeon. They
distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, printed subversive newspapers, hid
resisters, secreted Jews to safety, transported weapons, and conveyed
clandestine messages. The youngest was a schoolgirl of fifteen who
scrawled “V” for victory on the walls of lycee; the eldest, a
farmer's wife in her sixties who harbored escaped Allied airmen.
Strangers to each others, hailing from villages and cities from
across France, these brave women were united in hatred and defiance
of the Nazi occupiers.Eventually, the Gestapo hunted down 230 of
these women and imprisoned them in a fort outside of Paris. Separated
from home and loved ones, these disparate individuals turned to one
another, their common experience conquering divisions of age,
education, profession, and class, as they found solace and strength
in their deep affection and camaraderie.In January 1943, they
were send to their final destination: Auschwitz. Only Forty-nine
would return to France.A
Train in Winter
draws on interviews with these woman and their families; German,
French, and Polish archives; and documents held by World War II
resistance organizations to uncover a dark chapter of history that
offers an inspiring portrait of ordinary people, of bravery and
survival- and of the remarkable, enduring power of female friendship.

Review-
This is a moving and incredibly difficult book to read. The acts done
to this women, what they survived, and what they refused to do to
others. I have been reading a lot of WWII books lately so this is
going to be a last one for a while(or so I thought but not the case). Moorehead again does great
research, she handles the topic with care but she does not shy away
from the hard facts. Moorehead gives an index of the women at the
back of the book with their lives in brief; I liked that because you
met 230 women over the course of this book and so many had children
or other family and so many die without ever seeing them again. The
pictures in this book help to give faces to the names but there is
one picture that disgusted me. It is a smiling happy picture of the
guards at Auschwitz. They look so happy and healthy. It made my blood
run cold and disgusted me. To see the people who beat, starved, and
tortured thousands of people being so happy; it was and is
disgusting. But this is a very inspiring story in the end because
they were never broken. They were hungry, thirsty, naked, and
mistreated but they were never broken.

I
give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review
and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Today's
post is on XXXHolic
volume 7by
CLAMP. It is 176 pages long and is published by Del Rey. As it is the
seventh in the long series you need to have read the first six
to understand the story. The cover has Yuko on the front and Watanuki
on the back looking cool. The intended reader is someone who likes
mythology, ghost stories, and great art. There is no sex, no
language, and no violence in this volume. The story is told from
Watanuki's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the
book- Kimihiro Watanuki has a
wish on layway with Yuko Ishikawa, the sultry time-space witch who
can grant anyone's deepest desire... for a price! Still, working like
a slave in Yuko's shop hasn't dampened Kimihiro's enthusiasm for his
cute classmate Himawari-chan, nor his irritation with his too-cool
rival Domeki, the guy who always seems to be around during Kimihiro's
most embarrassing moments.But when Domeki, trying to be a good
Samaritan, inadvertently becomes the object of a terrible grudge,
Kimihiro seeks Yuko's help. However, the cost for her assistance is
steep: Kimihiro's would be permanently impaired! Is such a sacrifice
worth it for someone he would rather have disappear?

Review-
More world building and Shintoism. All beings have spiritual power
and affect each other. So Domeki runs into trouble and Watanuki, who
feels that he owes him, makes it go away. But then that causes
trouble with Domeki, who did not want Watanuki to help. Of course we
see more that Himawari is bad news for Watanuki but still do not know
why and Watanuki himself still does not see it. But the real theme that is still being explored is that Watanuki does not value himself. Because he cannot see his own self-worth it affects how he sees himself with others.
He does not understand why Domeki cares about him or why others would sacrifice for him. The art of course is just beautiful and is as important to the story as the plot. The art gives so much character to the story both in development and to enriching it. Good stuff all around.

I
give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my
review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Today's
post is on Ink
and Bone
by Rachel Caine. It is the first in her Great
Library
series. It is 368 pages long and is published by New American
Library. It cover is like a tapestry with a red-orange city of
bottom and the sky above. The intended reader is young adult, likes
fantasy, and good writing. There is no sex, some language, and
violence in this book. The story is told from the third person close
of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From
the back of the book-
Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence
in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses.
Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest
works of history instantly- but the personal ownership of books is
expressly forbidden.Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the
Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books
obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black
market. Jess has been sent to be his family's spy, but his loyalties
are tested in the final months of training to enter the Library's
service.When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating
a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who
control the Great Library believe knowledge is more valuable than any
human life- and soon both heretics and books will burn...

Review-
This was a very good book with some flaws. The story and the world
itself are interesting but the blurb on the back would make you think
that it is all about the invention but that does not come into play
until the last fourth of the book. You see it coming because of notes
between chapters but really does not matter to that overall story.
The weak points are the villains. The Library itself and their
teacher. I call their teacher a villain because of the way that he
treats Jess. I do not really understand what he thinks he is doing
but he is being a plot piece. I know that his reasons with be revealed but really he was just too much. The Library is a shadow in the
background without any reason but control and destroy. Maybe I am
asking too much of a first novel in a new series but I really wanted
more from the villains. That said I will be reading the next one but
good job Caine.

I
give this book a Four out of Five stars. I was given this book by
Ace/Roc publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Today's
post is on The
Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of
Obituaries
by Marilyn Johnson. It is 244 pages long including notes and it
published by HarperCollins. The cover is tan with a raven in the
center and the title from top to bottom. The intended reader is
someone who is interested in history, different lifestyles, and good
writing. The story is told from the first person of the author as she
explores this world. There is no sex, no violence, and some mild
language in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From
the dust jacket-
The New York Times comes each morning and never fails to deliver news
of the important dead. Every day is new; every day is fraught with
significance. I can arrange my cup of tea, prop up my slippers.
Obituaries are history as it is happening. Whose time am I living in?
Was he a success or a failure, lucky or doomed, older than I am or
younger? Did she know how to live? I shake out the pages. Tell me the
secret of a good life!Where else can you celebrate the life of
the pharmacist who moonlighted as a spy, the genius behind Sea
Monkeys, the school lunch lady who spent her evenings as a ballroom
hostess? No wonder so many readers skip the news and the sports and
go directly to the obituary page. The
Dead Beat
is the story of how these stories get told. Enthralled by the
fascinating loves that were matching out of this world, Marilyn
Johnson tumbled into the obits page to find out what made it so
lively. She sought out the best obits in the English language and
chased the people who spent their lives writing about the dead.
Surveying the darkest corners of the Internet chat rooms, surviving a
mass gathering of obituarists, and making a pilgrimage to London to
savor the most caustic and literate obits of all, Marilyn Johnson
leads us into the cult and culture behind the obituary page. The
result is a rare combination of scrapbook and compelling read, a trip
through recent history and the unusual lives we don't quite
appreciate until they're gone.

Review- This book was a wonderful break from all the War World 2 stuff I have been reading lately. It is funny, touching, and gets into what we humans are really like, morbid. Johnson really gets into the history of obits, the current standards for them, and what in recent years has changed about them. She goes to a convention for obit writers and travels the world to meet the most famous ones living. I had so much fun with this book and I got to be morbid at the same time as learning something new. Very full of win. One note about the physical book itself, it is long and thing like obituaries in the newspaper really are. I like that touch; making the book like what it is written about.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Today's post is on XXXHolic volume 6by CLAMP. It is the sixth in the
series, so you need to have read the first five to understand the
story. It is 174 pages long and is published by DEL REY. The cover
has Yuko on it looking very pretty and wrapping around to Watanuki on
the back. The intended reader is someone who likes Japanese
mythology, ghost stories, and very pretty pictures. The story is told
from Watanuki's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-
Kimihiro Watanuki takes a welcome break from his grueling service to
the time-space witch, Yuko Ishihara, only to find himself mixed up in
the strangest parade of the Japanese magical world. But a slipup
reveals that Kimihiro is a powerless human! How can he survive the
festival without being eaten by its dangerous participants?Then
Kimihiro meets a woman grieving for her lost son. Since Kimihiro is
an orphan, the two form an immediate bond. But what will Kimihiro do
when he realizes that his wonderful new friendship may very well kill
him?

Review-
This volume is really good but really sad. The first story is about
the spirit world and Domeki gets to see what Watanuki sees. It is
really fun. They are on an unknowing mission from Yuko but get to see
some beautiful things. Also some development between Yuko and Domeki.
He guesses that she does not want him to come into her shop and what that
could mean. In the second story Watanuki makes friends with
something, we never discover what she was, and it is really sad.
Domeki has to make a choice and that hurts Watanuki but saves his
life. It was really sad, seeing Watanuki meet someone who understands
how lonely he really is. She does not want to kill him but she cannot
help it. It was touching to watch them interact and to see Watanuki
stop fighting with Domeki.

I
give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my
review and I bought this manga with my own money many years ago.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Today's post is on Stitching Snow by R. C. Lewis. It is 328
pages long and is published by Hyperion. It is a stand alone book.
The cover is white with a red apple that looks like it is made of
circuits. The intended reader is young adult. There is no sex, some
mild language, and violence in this book. The story is told from the
first person perspective of the main character. There Be Spoilers
Ahead.

From the dust
jacket- Princess Snow is
missing.

Her
home planet, once known for lush landscapes, is now filled with
violence, fear, and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his
new wife as they attempt to punish the princess's captors. The king
will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back- but that's
assuming she wants to return at all.Essie
has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are
always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for
the seven loyal drones that run the local mine.When
a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie
agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that
Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the
heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid.

Review-
This is a strong debut by the author. The plot, characters, and
setting are good. The seven loyal drones are not really important to
the story, only one is. Essie is an interesting way to change Snow
White. But I did not like the hero. He did not really do anything to
make me dislike me but I did not want Essie to fall in love with him.
I wanted her to remain strong and face her enemies without a man or
boy in this case. He was little high-handed and he changed his mind
about things too much. I think that I would have liked him better if
he had stuck to something over the course of the book. If Dane was
not in the book I would have liked it better. Have it be Essie and
her drones working to stop the evil king and queen. She survived on
her own for years, survived fights and attacks. Essie is more than
enough to carry this story herself.

I
give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review
and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Today's post is on Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie. It is 867 pages long and published by William Morrow. The cover is tan with the author's name in dark red and the title in black. The intended reader is someone who likes mysteries, very good writing, and a very particular Belgian detective. There is no sex, no language and only mild violence in this book. The stories are told from many different perspectives from Poirot himself to a victim of blackmail. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- At last, a single volume that gathers together all of the short stories featuring Agatha Christie's most famous creation: Hercule Poirot. The dapper, mustache-twirling little Belgian with the egg-shaped head and curious mannerism has solved some of the most puzzling crimes of the century- and, in his own humble opinion, is “probably the greatest detective in the world.”
In this compete collection of stories, ranging from short tales to novellas, Poirot faces violent murders, poisonings, kidnappings, and thefts- all solved with his characteristic panache. Only Agatha Christie could have devised cases worthy of Hercule Poirot's skill and “little gray cells.”

Review- Wonderful collection, wonderful writing, and of course the reader gets to spend time with M. Poirot. Christie is one of the greatest writer's of the last century and her talent is on show in this collection. M. Poirot solves everything from blackmail to murder. What helps to keep the stories from just blending into each other is that she changes perspective from one story to the next. Sometimes M. Poirot does not even come into the story until it is almost done. Luckily Ms. Christie is a good enough author that she can pull this off. My favorite is Wasps' Nest where Poirot stops both a murder and a suicide. He saves a man's soul. If you have never read M. Poirot this could be a good place to start but as with everything that I have read from Christie, you can just pick it up and go from there.

I give this collection a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Today's
post is on XXXHolic
volume 5 by
CLAMP. As it is the fifth in the long series you need to have read
the first one to understand the story. It is 176 pages long and is
published by DEL REY. The cover is beautiful and has Yuko on it with
Watanuki on the back. The intended reader is someone who likes
mythology, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night. There
is no sex, some mild language, and no violence in this manga. The
story is told from Watanuki's perspective only. There Be Spoilers
Ahead

From
the back of the book-
Kimihiro Watanuki is the indentured servant of Yuko, the beautiful
but completely unpredictable Space-Time Witch. He must work at her
bizarre wish-granting shop until he can pay off his own wish: to be
free of the spirits that haunt him. Yuko's latest customer is a rain
spirit who wants Kimihiro dispatched on a rescue mission. Little does
Kimihiro know that this mission will take him to death's door!And
that's not his only problem: A cute spirit has given him a
Valentine's Day present, which means he's obligated by Japanese
Culture to return the favor. What do you get a girl who may not even
exist in this world?

Review-
This volume is fun, in my opinion. Lots of mythology and Japanese
culture going on. White Day is when boys return gifts for the
chocolates that they got on Valentine's day. So Watanuki is getting
pressure about that from Yuko and the spirits that come to see him.
The first story could be seen as a little scary but once you discover
what is really only on it is just sad. But the volume ends with a
cliff hanger. Watanuki has been seeing strange wings on people and
Yuko knows what those mean but she gets him out of the way. I cannot
remember what is really going on with them so I'm looking forward to
rereading it.

I
give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my
review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Today's
post is on The
Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
by Agatha Christie. It is the ninth in her Miss
Marple
series but you do not have to read them in order to understand the
story or the characters. The cover is broken mirror with the title in
the center of the crack. The intended reader is someone who likes
mysteries, well written books, and interesting main characters. There
is no sex, no language, and no violence in this book. The story is
told from third person close of the main characters moving from one
to another over the course of the book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From
the dust jacket-
What was it that Marina Gregg, the famous film actress, saw just
before a murder was committed in her house? What or who caused her
expression to change so violently that one observer called it “a
look of doom”?A few minutes later a body lay dead in Marina's
large house- the second time a victim of willful murder has been
discovered there.

Review-
Another brilliant Christie mystery. The why of the murder is not as
cold-blooded as they normally are but it cold enough. One interesting
thing about this novel is that Miss Marple is mostly house bound in
it. She is getting over being very sick and has people taking care of
her. So most of the information she is getting is second or third
hand. In the end she goes to confront the killer herself but other
than that she is outside looking in. I had no idea who the killer was
until the revealing so it was surprising and the killer's reasoning
was pitiful. This killer is one of the few who I really pitied.
Because what drove the killer in life and to commit murder was
very sad but it costs the killer so much in the end. Interesting look
on blaming or hating others in the end just kills yourself.

I
give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review
and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Book Review Rating System

5 Stars = This book is a must read
4 Stars = This is a really good book
3 Stars = It was okay
2 Stars = Unsuccessful in coming up to expections
1 Star = Could not get into or finish the book or I was angry with that book that I wrote a strongly worded letter about it.